No lazing about for these snowbirds

Snoozing in the old hammock? Not these seniors. Hitting golf and tennis balls, playing bridge, and knitting are not the only pastimes of those who migrate to Florida every winter.

Phyllis Gordon Koppel

A Cape Codder reports from sunny Florida Snoozing in the old hammock? Not these seniors. Hitting golf and tennis balls, playing bridge, and knitting are not the only pastimes of those who migrate to Florida every winter. Many enjoy sports, including my husband who, at 72, is among hundreds of men who play senior softball in leagues both in Florida and on the Cape. Here in Sarasota, Nate plays six games a week including two on the “traveling team” that goes to tournaments (additional weekend games). It is amazing to see the high quality of play among these men whose ages run from late 50s to 80s. Some played in their youth and have rediscovered the skills their muscle memory retained. Golf and tennis are favorites, as would be expected, but biking, hiking, swimming, walking, kayaking, boating, and running are also in the mix. Even birding is not passive activity. For example, a recent walk at Myakka State Park covered six miles of trails. Participants were cautioned to bring lots of water and snacks. In addition to activities that would be expected, there are many more. My neighbor, Denise, volunteers at the library and is an avid quilter. Jan takes people on tours of the Asolo Theater, while others do the same at Sarasota Opera, Florida Studio Theater, Ringling Museum of Art, Selby Botanical Gardens and other cultural and historical venues that abound in Sarasota, the cultural mecca of the state. Some snowbirds tutor in the schools, teach literacy, and help out at girls’ and boys’ clubs. Another neighbor volunteers at Mote Aquarium, taking visitors out on a boat to learn about sea life first hand. I facilitate a Memoirs Workshop in our community where we share writings to improve and inspire. I hope a few get these marvelous tales published. Dancing is also popular with swing bands performing in community centers and parks weekly. Yoga classes at the Women’s Resource Center attract 20 to 40 people Monday through Friday, and fitness clubs and the YMCAs have huge memberships. The adult learning center provides classes in language, art, history, politics, philosophy, bridge, literature, and much more. You have to be quick to register because these fill up almost immediately. A different side of life involves work, which many do because they enjoy what they are doing or want to be out with people. Making money, not just “spending money,” is another reason especially nowadays. There are men who work at private golf courses for little cash but the opportunity to play in the afternoon for free. Other men and women work at bookstores, theaters, and shops. So a sleepy life in the south is a myth. Well, perhaps I exaggerate a little. There are the sunsets and moonlight on the gulf to watch from a comfy beach chair with a glass of wine. And there’s always lounging at the pool, heated to 84 degrees, with a good book. Maybe that is why many who rent here eventually make Sarasota a full-time residence. Suffering summer heat beats shoveling snow any day, they say. On the other hand, I still look forward to returning to my Cape Cod home, each spring. Nothing beats New England in the spring and fall, and the Cape in the summer.

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